Silverware washing and handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

Silverware washing and handling apparatus for receiving soiled silverware, moving such silverware continuously from a receiving end portion of a washing compartment to a discharge opening of a finishing tunnel while it is automatically washed, rinsed and dried. The apparatus causes the silverware to assume a predetermined orientation and disperses it along its path of travel so that it leaves the discharge opening in a stream which may be sorted at high speed in a continuous sorting apparatus. The basic silverware handling portion of the apparatus without the washing, rinsing and drying components, may be used to feed previously washed silverware to a continuous sorting apparatus in a manageable stream which does not jam the sorting apparatus.

United States Patent Jackson [4 1 Aug. 8, 1972 [54] SILVERWARE WASHING AND 3,520,726 7/1970 Gay...., ..134/63 HANDLING APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Robert L. Bleutge [72] lnvemor' Aldnch L'JacksonEusns Att0rney-l-iofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & Mc-

[73] Assignee: Dynasort Corporation Cord [22] Filed: June 29, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl' 50466 Silverware washing and handling apparatus for receiving soiled silverware, moving such silverware continu- 52 us. c1. ..134/63, 134/62, 134/66, ously from receiving end portion of a washing 7 3 134 132 partment to a discharge opening of a finishing tunnel 51 Int. Cl ..B08b 3/02, B08b 3/10 while it is automtically washed, rinsed a dried- T [58] Field 61 Search ..134/62, 63, 66, 132 apparatus causes the Silverware to assume a predetermined orientation and'disperses it along its path of [56] References Cited travel so that it leaves the discharge opening in a stream which may be sorted at high speed in a con- UNITED STATES PATENTS tinuous sorting apparatus. The basic silverware handling portion of the apparatus without the washing, goussel i 3 rinsing and drying components, may be used to feed 3216431 [1965 f? 4 32 previously washed silverware to a continuous sorting 3247858 4 6 Kr I apparatus in a manageable stream which does not jam I I [19 6 aeft ..134/63 X the sorting apparatus. 3,339,564 9/1967 Kraeft ..134/63 X 3,486,939 12/1969 Pinckard ..134/62 39 China, 10 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 8, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 8, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 8, 1972 3,682,184

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

| XM-3 CT COUNTER ll ENERGlZE CONTACTS TIMER STOP START CT-I I I l I I I E-l v l XM-2 f I I! TM I i 1 I i TM-l I I l I II XM-l I I 1 PREHEAT ON 3 COUNT a RESET 'fl WCS-l DOSX-I W94 LS-2 L -4 FS-4 SILVERWARE WASHING AND HANDLING APPARATUS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The apparatus here disclosed is particularly designed to feed directly from the finishing tunnel into the high speed silverware sorting apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 44,399, filed June 8, 1970 titled Apparatus for Continuously Sorting Long, Slender Articles by Length. The sorting apparatus, in turn, is particularly designed to feed into the continuous, high speed orienting apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 28,879, filed Apr. 15, 1970 as a continuation-inpart of my application Ser. No. 707,164, filed Feb. 21, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the increasing cost and relative unavailability of dependable unskilled help in the labor market, and further as a result of the over-all increase in the cost of all operations where relatively expensive raw materials are a major part of the total cost of doing business, it is becoming increasingly necessary for enterprises engaged in mass food service operations to have dependable equipment which minimizes the service portion of the operation. This applies to restuarants, hotel dining rooms, hospitals and institutions of all sorts, and industrial food service operations. One of the major phases of the mass food service business in which unskilled help has customarily been used is in the washing, drying, and sorting of dishes and silverware. Large capacity industrial dishwashing equipment has been available for many years; but most of it is not readily adaptable to the handling of silverware, and accordingly such operations on silverware have, for the most part, continued to be performed by hand. Both economic and sanitary considerations are in favor of the mechanical handling of silverware.

Soiled silverware must go through five operations in order to return it to supply boxes ready to be reused, and each of these operations must be carried out in such a way as to minimize the risk of damage to the silverware, as by bending the tines of forks or the blades of knives, or bending spoon handles so as to change the angle between the handle and the bowl. These five operations are: (l) washing, (2) rinsing, (3) drying, (4) sorting, and (5) orienting to place the handles of all pieces at the same end of the supply box. In approximately the past five years several types of apparatus have been developed for performing one or more, or all of the foregoing processing steps. Reference is made to Kraeft US. Pat. Nos. 3,247,858 and 3,339,564 for two related mechanisms which are intended to perform all five operations. A Hansen et al US. Pat. No. 3,232,425 is directed to apparatus for separating silverware from table waste and disposablepaper service in preparation for the washing of the silverware; but the disclosure of .that patent includes no silverware washing apparatus.

The two Kraeft patents disclose relatively large, slow operating, and mechanically complex structures for performing the five operations that are required to prepare soiled silverware for reuse and deposit it in service boxes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides apparatus for washing, rinsing and drying silverware; and the basic mechanical apparatus is extremely simple and compact. During the washing operation and the feed of the washed silverware to and through a finishing tunnel in which it is rinsed and dried, the silverware is oriented relative to its path of travel and dispersed so that it is fed out of the tunnel to a continuous sorter in manageable quantities which do not jam the sorter. The mechanical components without plumbing may be used to feed clean silverware to a sorter. The apparatus is particularly adapted for use with the silverware sorting apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 44,399, filed June 8, 1970.

The washing apparatus of the present invention as herein disclosed includes an electrical control system which causes washing, rinsing and drying to proceed continuously through several cycles, so silverware may be processed continuously; but it may be used for batch operation if desired.

The apparatus of the present invention is devoid of any mechanism which can distort silverware passing through it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus on a larger scale than FIG. 1, and in addition to the washing, rinsing and drying apparatus of the present invention FIG. 2 illustrates diagrammatically the silverware sorter and orienting area, and shows sorted and oriented silverware in supply boxes at the front of the machine cabinet;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially as indicated along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially as indicated along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the lines 5-5 and 66 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing the plumbing system within the cabinet, and is taken substantially on the line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 9--9 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is an electrical diagram of the control system I for the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF H INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus of the present invention includes a cabinet, indicated generally at 11, which includes corner posts 12, side panels 13, a back panel 14, a front panel 15, a transverse intermediate panel 16, a top panel 17 and a bottom panel 18. Surmounting the top panel 17 are the mechanical components of the present washing, rinsing and drying apparatus in which a washing compartment is indicated generally at 19, a finishing tunnel which is indicated generally atv 20 includes a rinse area, indicated and a drying area,- indicated generally at 22, remote from the washing compartment 19 and connected with the rinsing area 21 by a flexible section 23. The drying area 22 of the finishing tunnel 20 has an open discharge end 22a which feeds directly into an infeed chute 24 of sorting apparatus, indicated schematically at 25, which occupiesthespace between the front panel and. the transverse intermediate panel 16 of the cabinet. The continuous sorting apparatus 25 is disclosed in detail and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 44,399, filed June 8, 1970, as heretofore stated in the Cross Reference to Related Applications. After silverware from the infeed chute 24 has passed through the sorting apparatus 25 and through an orienting area OA it drops into storage boxes which are individually removably mounted in an opening in the front panel 15 of the cabinet, there being a knife storage box 26K, a

fork" storage box 26F, a soupspoon storage box 26SS and ateaspoon storage box 2618.

f The apparatus in the orientingarea, whichcauses all 17 and to the rear of the transverse intermediate panel 16 are the plumbing and electrical control system for the washing, rinsing and drying apparatus; and the electrical control apparatus also includes the controls for a washing compartment to an open discharge end 30, an

entry end wall 31, and a top closure 32 which is hingedly mounted on one of the side walls 28 by means of a piano hinge 33 and has a locking flange 34 which is engaged by a pivoted fastening bolt 35 so that the closure may be sealed against the tops of the side walls 28 and the entry wall 31 by means of a wing nut 36 threaded upon the pivoted bolt 35.

As best seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, within the washing compartment 19 is a manifold, indicated generally at 37, which provides a floor 38, a pair of upright guide walls 39 which are seen in FIG. 2 to converge from the entry end 29 toward the open discharge end 30 of the washing compartment andwhich are also seen in FIG. 3 to be of a height which tapers from said entry end tosaid discharge end, and a pair of side plates 40 which are spaced inwardly from the side walls 28 and sealed tothe latter along their upper ends. A wash water nippic 41 is fixed around an opening (not shown) in one side wall 28 of the wmhing compartment so as tointroduce wash water under pressure into the space between the bottom 27, side walls 28 and manifold 37. The manifold has lines of holes 42 in the floor 38 between the guide walls 39, and the walls are hollow and provided with holes 43' while a. side plates 40 1 are provided with holes 44. Thus, the space between partment.

The guide walls 39 and the combined side walls 28 and side plates'40 define guide channels 45.which converge toward the open discharge end 30 of the washing compartment and which, at least adjacent said open discharge end, are narrower than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware whichrnay be placed in the washing compartment so that all silverware may pass through the open discharge .end 30 only in endwise orientation with respect to its path of travel. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, mounted in the washing compartment 19 immediately beneath the closure 32 is an upper set of wash water conduits 46 which extend longitudinally of the compartment with a conduit generally centered above each of the guide channels 45, and an upper conduit infeed pipe 47 from which all of the conduits 46 receive wash water that is sprayed through holes 48in the bottoms of the conduits. Thus, the holes 48 provide nozzles directing high pressure sprays generally downwardly into the compartment.

The lower wash water conduit means and the upper wash water conduits, together with their respective inlet pipes 41 and 47, and also together with some of the plumbing which will be described later, constitutes first plumbing means for passing wash water through the washing compartment in scrubbing contact with silverware on the supporting surface means provided by the floor 38 of the manifold 37. Also forming apart of the first plumbing means is a used wash water and debris drain, indicated generally at 49, which is best seen in FIG. 3 to be immediately adjacent the open discharge end 30 of the washingcompartment and to include an upstream transverse wall 50 and a downstream transverse wall 51 which cooperate to define a drain channel beneath which is a transversely slidably mounted forarninous drawer 52 which provides a debris trap that may be removed for cleaning when desired. The trap 52 is carried in a sump 53, and from the downstream side of the sump a used wash water return line 54 provides a drain for the washing compartment.

As previously stated, the floor 38 of the manifold 37 provides first silverware supporting surface means in the washing compartment, and as seen in FIG. 3 said silverware supporting surface means 38 is inclined slightly downwardly from the receiving end 29 tothe open discharge end 30 of the washing compartment; and both the washing compartment and the rinsing por-- tion 21 of the finishing tunnel 20 are resiliently mounted upon a first resilient mounting 55 and a second resilient mounting 56 so that they may be continuously vibrated by a first upper vibrator 57 (W1 in FIG. 10) which is an electric motor rigidly suspended from the bottom 27 of the washing compartment and having a vertically extending, eceentrically weighted shaft which vibrates thewashing compartment 19 and I the rinsing portion 21 ofthe tunnel 20 as a unit whenit is in operation. Thus, silverware in the washing compartment .19 is constantly agitated to spread it about the first supporting surface means 38 and feed it slowly toward the open discharge end 30 of the compartment. At the same time, the upright walls 39 of the manifold 37 and the upright side plates 40 cooperate with the agitating means toarrange all the silverware substantially in endwise orientation with respect to the path of travel as it approaches the open discharge end.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the washing compartment adjacent its open discharge end 30 is silverware forwarding and dispersing means, indicated generally at 58, that include forwarding roller means 59 and silverware dispersing means 60. As seen in FIG. 2, a motor 61 has a shaft 62 which extends through the side walls 28 of the washing compartment between the transverse drain walls 50 and 51, and a forwarding 68 so that it may be driven by a belt 69 from the pulley 65.

The silverware dispersing means 60 includes a rock shaft 70 which is joumalled in the side walls 28 of the washing compartment somewhat upstream from the forwarding roller 63, and the rock shaft is provided with a rock arm 71 by means of which it is rocked or oscillated by a crank and link mechanism 72 driven from the shaft 66. As best seen in FIG. 3, the rock shaft 70 is provided with a set of dependent fingers 73 which have flexible rubber tips 74 overlying the extreme downstream end portion of the silverware supporting surface means 38. The rock shaft 70 is oscillated through an angle of about 45, and the rubber tips 74 of the fingers 73 contact pieces of silverware on the surface 38 as they swing toward and away from the forwarding roller 63 so that some pieces of silverware are advanced toward the-roller and other pieces of silverware are retarded. In this way the silverware is given good longitudinal dispersion which is adequately maintained as it passes through the finishing tunnel so that the silverware exits from the open end 22a of the drying portion 22 and enters the sorting apparatus through the chute 24 in a well dispersed and manageable stream.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7A, the silverware rinsing portion 21 of the finishing tunnel 20 includes a bottom wall 75 and upright side walls 76 and 77 which are sealed to the downstream transverse drain wall 51 of the washing compartment, and a top wall 78 which is aligned with the washing compartment closure 32. The height of the rinsing portion 21 of the tunnel is seen in FIG. 3 to taper gradually from the open outlet end 30 of the washing compartment and the tunnel is on a continuous slight downward incline from the washing compartment through the rinsing portion 21 of the finishing tunnel, the flexible connection 23 between the rinsing portion 21 and the drying portion 22, and through the entire length of the drying portion; and as seen in FIG. 2 the finishing tunnel is in the form of a shallow helix.

Removably mounted in the rinsing portion 21 is a forarninous basket, indicated generally at 79, which has a bottom 80 that provides a continuous silverware supporting surface and side walls 81 with out-turned upper ends 82 that hang on flanges 83 on the side walls 76 and 77. The basket 79 extends from immediately adjacent the downstream transverse drain wall 51 continuously to the end of the rinsing portion 21 adjacent the flexible connection 23 to the drying portion 22, and the bottom 80 of the basket is spaced above the floor of the tunnel as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 and is immediately below the top edge of the transverse drain wall 51 so that silverware which is forwarded by the roller 63 slides smoothly onto the continuous supporting surface provided by the bottom of the basket. The space between the bottom of the basket and the floor 75 of the tunnel provides a continuous rinse water drain channel 84 which is seen in FIG. 7A to empty through a rinse water drain pipe 85.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 5, a rinse water pipe 86 is seen to feed into a manifold, indicated generally at 87, in whichthere is an array of rinse water pipes with spray nozzles including a transverse bottom pipe 88 and a pair of upright lateral pipes 89 with longitudinally extending bottom spray pipes 90 beneath the floor 80 'of the basket, longitudinally extending lateral spray pipes 91 along the side wall 81 of the basket and upper spray pipes 92. The pipes 92 extend only the length of the manifold 87, while the pipes 90 and 91 are seen in FIG. 6 to extend almost to the end of the rinse section 21. All the pipes are provided with fine spray nozzles which are directed toward the basket so as to direct a rinse water spray against all surfaces of silverware in the basket, and the foraminous basket bottom 80 and side walls 81 have openings at the spray nozzles of the pipes 90 and 91 which are large enough to avoid interfering with the spray. The nozzle pipes 92 are so positioned that they do not interfere with removal of the basket 79; and the manifold top wall 87a is removable as is the rinse tunnel top wall 78 for access to the basket.

As seen in'FIGS. 2 and 6, below the manifold 87 the rinse tunnel is provided with a hinged closure 78a which extends close enough to the end of the finishing tunnel rinse portion that the basket may be removed by lifting it from its upper end adjacent the wall 51 and withdrawing it endwise until its lower end is free.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the lower end of the rinse portion 21 of the finishing tunnel 20 terminates in an upright end wall 93 which is immediately adjacent the rinse water drain 85, and a short tunnel section 94 having a floor 95, side walls 96, and a top wall 97 serves as a support for the lower end of the basket 79. A first hot air inlet pipe 98 in the wall 97 and a second hot air inlet pipe 99 in the drying portion 22 of the tunnel receive a stream of hot air from a heat gun HG (FIGS. 8 and 10) through an air pipe 100, so as to dry silverware in the finishing tunnel.

The short tunnel section 94 is directly connected to the flexible section 23 which joins the rinsing portion 21 of the tunnel with the drying portion 22; and as seen in FIG. 2 the drying portion 22 of the finishing tunnel is seen to-be mounted on first and second resilient supports 101 and 102; and mounted on the underside of the drying portion 22'of the finishing tunnel is a vibrator 57a (UV2 in FIG. 10) which is like the vibrator 57 but considerably smaller since it vibrates a much smaller part of the mechanism.

drainvalve DOS.

. PLUMBING SYSTEM which has an upright cylindrical side wall 104 and a closure 105. A building service hot water line 106 is connected into a T-coupling 107 from which a mixing tank feed line 108 extends through the closure 105 of the mixing 103 and is provided with a solenoid control valve RFS. Also connected into the -T-coupli ng water through the line 86 and through the line 108 may be independently controlled by operation of the respective solenoids RWS and RFS as will be described in connection with the electrical schematic FIG. 10 and the operating cycle of the machine. Y I

A detergent tank 109 has a pipe 1 10 with "a detergent injector solenoid valve DTS which controls admission of detergent to the water detergent mixing tank 103 in conjunction with feed of hot water from the line 108.

Circulation of wash waterfrom the mixing tank 103 through the washing compartment 19 is accomplished by means of a high pressure pump 111 which is driven by an electric motor MP, with the suction side of the pump being in communication with the bottom portion of the mixing tank 103 through a suction pipe 112, and with the pressure side of the pump communicating through a pressure line 113 and a T-coupling 113a with the washingcompartment supply lines 41 and 47. Wash water which has. passed through the washing compartrnent 19 and out through the debris screen trap 52 returns through the drain line 54 to the top of the mixl 07'is the rinse water supply line 86 in which there is a "rinse water solenoid valve RWS. Thus, flow of hot ing-tank 103. Thus, a single batch of wash water may be circulated through the washing compartment for a sub- 1 stantial period of time; and in order that the wash water may be maintained at an adequate washing temperathe tank 103. v I

The rinse water drain line 85 extends downwardly to the extreme bottom of the cabinet as seen in FIG. 9, and connects with a T-coupling -l 14 from which a drain line 115 drains to the sewer. A mixing tank-drain line l16 extends from the bottom of the mixing tank 103 into the T-coupling l 14, and is controlled by a solenoid ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM AND' OPERATING CYCLE The operating cycle of" the apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, to the 'electrical schematic FIG. 10, and to a symbol identification list on page 20. The operation will be described starting with the mixing tank 103 empty alter it has just been drained, the drain solenoid valve DOS closed, and the entire apparatus shut down. A manual start button is pressed to energize the main energizing relay E and close a normally open contact E-l to establish a holding circuit for the relay E. At the same time, a normally open contact E-2 closes to energize a drain cycle timer TM which remains energizedfor a predetermined time period and which times out to open the mixing tank drain valve by energizing the solenoid for that DOS valve. A third nomially open contact 15-3 is also closed to energize the solenoids of. the detergent injector valve DTS and of the hot water inlet valve RFS so as to open both those valves and admit hot water and liquid detergent to' the mixing tank 103. The rate of flow of water and detergent is so proportionedas to give a desired washing solution (generally. referred to in the specification and claims as wash water") in the mixing tank. At the same time, the heat element HE in the mixing tank 103 is energized so as to bring the wash water to a' predetermined temperature .in case the water in the building service hot water line 106 is at too low a temperature. The heat element HE, of course, is of a type which includes an independent thermostatic control switch which is responsive to the temperature of e the wash water in the mixing tank. e A sensor switch FS is mounted in the side wall 104 of the mixing tank so as to terminate the tank filling portion of the operating cycle when the level of wash water in the mixing tank reaches the switch which may, for

example, be about two-thirds of the way to the top of the tank. When this occurs a nonnally closed contact FS-3 is opened to de-energize the solenoids of the valves RFS for the hot water line and DTS for the de .tergent injector, so as to terminate the filling of the tank UV-2 in FIG. 10). The sensor switch FS is of a type which is actuated when the water level reaches a certain point, and which does not deactuate until the water level has passed a certain lower point. This is necessary because otherwise the energization of the pump motor MP to pump water out of the tank 103 would immediately stop the machine by deactuating the sensor switch.

Assuming that the washing compartment 19 contains a load of soiled silverware when the pump and vibrators commence operating, silverware in that load is subjected to the'action of the wash water and is gradually moved along the supporting surface means of the washing compartment and before it enters the rinsing portor LV, the upper vibrators UV-l and W4, the feed of the finishing tunnel through the pipe 86 and is drained through the pipe 85 is not recirculated, but instead goes through drain line 115 to the sewer. Accordingly, it is desirable to conserve rinse water by having the rinse water solenoid valve RWS open only when silverware is about to enter the rinsing portion of the finishing tunnel, or isalready in the rinsing portion. In order to accomplish this, an electric eye 117 of a photocell operated time-delay device is positioned in one of the side walls 28 of the washing compartment 19 immediately above the feed roller 63 as seen in FIG. 3, and as seen in FIG. 10 when the beam to the photoelectric cell is broken it immediately closes a normally open contact TD-l to energize the solenoid of the solenoid valve RWS that controls the flow of rinse water through the rinse water supply pipe 86. The time-delay device is of a type which remains actuated for a set time period, which in this case is somewhat longer than is necessary for a piece of silverware to move from the feed roller 63 to the point at which the rinsing tunnel nozzle pipes 90 and 91 end, so as to continue the flow of rinse water as long as silverware is in the rinsing portion of the tunnel.

Another time when it becomes necessary to stop the feed of silverware through the apparatus is when any one of the storage boxes 26K, 26F, 2688 or 26TS becomes full. This may be accomplished by any of a variety of simple means for detecting when a supply box is full and then actuating a limit switch to open a normally closed LS contact in the operating circuit for the upper vibrators and the feed roller. Thus, for example, each supply box may be mounted upon a downwardly movable platform which is resiliently urged to an upward position, and when the weight of silverware in the supply box is sufficient to lower the platform to a predetermined point the platform operates the limit switch. Accordingly, as seen in FIG. 10 limit switches LS-l, LS-2, LS-3 and LS-4 are wired in series so that each of them, when its normally closed contact is open, may break the circuits to the upper vibrators, the feed roller and heat gun. It is not necessary to terminate operation of the lower vibrator because silverware passes through the sorting apparatus 25 so rapidly that termination of silverware feed to the boxes occurs almost immediately after the upper vibrator UV-2 stops advancing silverware into the chute 24.

To cover the situation where the apparatus is shut down for an extended period of time with a normal quantity of wash water in the mixing tank 103, a preheat switch which may be a simple toggle switch is provided for closing the circuit to the heating element H5 in the mixing tank 103 so as to bring the wash water up to normal washing temperature before soiled silverparent that rinse water which enters the rinsing portion ware is placed in the washing compartment 19 and the apparatus is started up again. An indicator light or indicator buzzer may, of course, be included in the circuit to signal an operator when wash water temperature has reached the desired level so that normal operation of the apparatus may be resumed and the preheat toggle switch may be flipped off.

' Assuming the apparatus continued to cycle nonnally with no interruptions either by reason of the washing compartment closure being open or by reason of a silverware supply box becoming loaded, the TM timer continues to operate until it times out and thereby ends the drain cycle which terminates with the draining of the mixing tank 103. When the TM timer times out normally open contact TM-l is closed to energize an XM timer which controls the refill cycle. The TM timer also closes a normally open contact 'IM-2 to energize the solenoid of drain valve DOS and a relay DOSX. Energization of the solenoid for the DOS valve opens the mixing tank 103 to the drain 116 to drain the tank, while energization of the DOSX relay opens a normally closed contact DOSX-1 to de-energize the heating element in the mixing tank. A normally closed contact TM-3 is opened to break the circuit to the lower vibrator in order that said vibrator will stop immediately instead of waiting until lowering of the water level in the mixing tank 103 would stop it by permitting the FS-3 contact to return to its normally open state. A normally closed contact TM-4 in the energizing circuit for the hot water line solenoid valve RFS and the detergent injector solenoid valve DTS is also opened, so that as the wash water level in the mixing tank 103 drops below the operating range of the fill line sensor switch FS and the contact FS-4 controlled by the switch returns to is normally closed condition there will still be an open circuit to the RFS and DTS solenoids until the TM motor is again energized. Finally, a normally closed contact TM-S in the energizing circuit for the upper vibrators UV-l and UV-2, the heat gun and the feed roller is opened in order to deactivate those elements of the apparatus immediately instead of waiting until the level of wash water in the mixing tank 103 has dropped sufficiently to permit reopening of the normally open contact FS-S in the energizing circuit to those elements.

Energization of the XM timer immediately closes normally open XM-1 contact to establish a holding circuit for the XM timer, which is of a type that actuates various contacts at a predetermined time or times and then subsequently deactuates them. Accordingly the XM timer may be a motor which drives a cam to open and close limit switches in any desired sequence, or equivalent. The XM timer does nothing more until the end of a time period which is measured by the complete emptying of the mixing tank 103. This may be a pure time cycle, or the operation may be controlled by a sensor responsive to the absence of wash water in the drain pipe 1 16.

When the mixing tank 103 is empty the XM timer opens a normally closed contact XM-2 and thus breaks the circuit to the TM timer to reset the TM timer to zero. De-energization of the TM timer returns the nor mally open contact 'IM-2 to its open position which would permit the DOS drain valve solenoid and the DOSX relay to be de-energized and thus close the drain valve and energize the heating element in the bottom of the mixing tank. This is not desirable at this point, so a normally open XM-4 contact in a parallel circuit for the DOS solenoid and the DOSX relay is closed to keep the valve open and the heating element turned off. The purpose of maintaining the drain valve open isto permit the mixing tank 103 to be flushed out with hot water, and this is accomplished by closing a normally open XM-6 contact which controls a parallel energizing circuit for the RFS hot water valve solenoid. At the same time, a normally closed XM-S contact opens so that in spite of the fact the TIM-4 and SF-3 normally closed contacts are both closed, the detergent valve solenoidD'IS remains de-energized so that no detergent is admitted to the mixing tank 103 while it is being flushed out; The lower end of the hot water pipe 108 in period of 10 or 15 seconds, after which the XM timer water and detergent to provide a new batch of wash water.

The final function of the XM timer is to operate aCl counter which is energized after a predetermined number of counts, conveniently three counts, which resets the entire control circuit to zero at the end of the third complete cycle as the XM timer times out. is accomplished by a normally open XM-3 contact which requires three pulses from the XM timer to close.

closed contact CI -1 of the main energizing relayand thereby shuts down the entire electrical control circuit. It can be restarted only by manuallyresetting the CT counter and again pressing the start button. I

' The CT counter system may conveniently be tied into the screen refuse drawer 52 so that the CI counter is reset by removing the refuse trap drawer and replacing it. This prevents an operator from inadvertently failing to clean the refuse trap at desirable intervals.

In case of need the entire system may be shut down by means of a manual stop switch; but this is rarely necessary becauseall operations except flow of rinse water through the RWS solenoid valve are stopped merely by swinging out the bolt 35 to release the WCS limit switch. Rinse water stops automatically by reason I of the time delay operation a predetermined period of time after the upper, vibrator UVI and the feed roller are de -energized. Even such delay may be eliminated by adding a manual toggle switch to the RWS energizing circuit.

lncaseitisnecessarytodrainthemixingtankinthe middle of a cycle, a manual drain toggle switch is pro-- vided in the DOS and DOSX energizing circuit; and if the apparatus is to be shut down with the tank emptythis must be operated before the stop switch.

When the CT counter is energized it opens a normally 7 directly from the washingcompartment is sup- The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only andno unnecessary limita will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

' LIST OF SYMBOLS Symbols Timers and Counter! CT Electric counterenergizel contacts on third count and then automatically resets TM Drain cycle timer to operate contacts a predetermined time after timer is energized XM Refill cycle timer to operate contacts a predetermined time aher timer is energized Solenoid Valves DOS Drain DTS v Detergent Injector RPS I Hot water line v .RWS Hot water line to rinse portion of finishing tunnel, controlled by photocell operated time delay device I Motors FR Feed roller LV Lower vibrator MP Pump motor I UVl Upper vibrator, washing compartment and rinse area UV2 Upper vibrator, drying area Heaters HE Heat element HG Heat gun switches and Relays DOSX Relay energized during drain cycle Drain Manual energimtion of DOS and DOSX E Main energizing relay FS 2/3 fill line sensor switch LS1, 2, 3 and 4 Limit Switches at supply boxes Preheat Manual energization of heat element HE switch Start Main cycle start switch Stop -Main cycle stop switch WCS Washing compartment closure limit I claim: 1.- Apparatus for washing mixed silverware while feeding it to a continuous sorting apparatus comprising,

in combination: a washing compartment which has a orienting means in said washing compartment which cooperates with said last named means to arrange all silverware in the compartment in substantially a single predetermined orientation as it moves toward the open discharge end;

first plumbing means for passing wash water through said washing compartment in scrubbing contact with silverware on the first supporting surface, said first plumbing means including used wash water and debris drain means;

a finishing tunnel having second silverware support.- ing surface means on which silverware received ported for passage through the tunnel, said tunnel having sidewalls, a top wall, and a discharge opening, and being constructed and arranged to maintain silverware in substantially a single predetermined orientation with reference to its line of travel through the tunnel; and second plumbing means for passing rinse water through at least a portion of said tunnel to rinse silverware during its passage through the tunnel, said second plumbing means including a drain through which all rinse water passes. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the washing compartment is inclined slightly downwardly toward the open discharge end.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the means for moving silverware through the washing compartment and agitating the silverware comprises means for vibrating the supporting surface means to move the silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the compartment and of the tunnel are continuously downwardly inclined from the receiving end of the compartment to the discharge end of the tunnel, and in which means are provided for vibrating the supporting surface means of the compartment and the tunnel to move the silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.

5. The apparatus of claim I in which the orienting means comprises longitudinally disposed partition means which cooperates with at least portions of the side walls of the washing compartment to orient silverware for endwise movement through the open discharge end.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the tunnel affords channel means which is substantially narrower than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware so as to maintain all silverware in a substantially endwise orientation with reference to its path of travel therethrough.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the side walls and the partition means define channels which narrow toward the discharge end of the compartment, the width of said channels adjacent the discharge end of the compartment being substantially less than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware to be washed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the tunnel affords channel means which is substantially narrower than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware so as to maintain all silverware in a substantially endwise orientation with reference to its path of travel therethrough.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in whichthe side walls of the compartment converge from the receiving end portion toward the open discharge end, in which said open discharge end is narrower than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware to be washed so that all silverware passes through said discharge end only in a sub stantially endwise orientation, and in which the silverware orienting means comprises longitudinally disposed partition means which cooperate with the side walls to orient silverware substantially endwise.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the washing compartment is inclined slightly downwardly toward the open discharge end, and in which the means for moving silverware through the washing compartment and agitating the silverware comprises means for vibrating the supporting surface means to move silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.

' 11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the compartment and of the tunnel are continuously downwardly inclined from the receiving end of the compartment to the discharge end of the tunnel, and in which means are provided for vibrating said supporting surface means of the compartment and the tunnel to move the silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the distance between the side walls of the tunnel is substantially less than the length-of the shortest piece of silverware to be washed and rinsed.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first plumbing means includes nozzle means for directing a plurality of high pressure wash water sprays at the surfaces of silverware in the compartment so that said sprays scrub said surfaces.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 in which the nozzle means comprises an upper set of conduits arranged longitudinally of the compartment above the silverware supporting surface with nozzles in said conduits directing high pressure sprays generally downwardly, and lower conduit means arranged generally longitudinally of the compartment with nozzles in said conduit means directing high pressure sprays laterally.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the lower conduit means'includes nozzles directing high pressure sprays laterally contiguous to the silverware supporting surface means.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes means for dispersing silverware longitudinally as it leaves the compartment.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the dispersing means comprises a driven silverware forwarding roller which controls the movement of silverware into the tunnel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which the forwarding roller is on a horizontal shaft, the top of said roller is substantially coplanar with the silverware supporting surfaces of said compartment and said tunnel, and there are resilient silverware engaging projections on said roller.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the dispersing means also includes means for intermittently retarding and advancing some of the silverware as it approaches the roller.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the last named means comprises a transverse rock shaft generally above the discharge end of the washing compartment and ahead of the roller, means for oscillating said shaft on its axis, and a plurality of fingers fixed on said shaft and having resilient lower end portions which contact silverware on the supporting surface as they oscillate, whereby said fingers retard pieces of silverware which they contact while moving away from the roller and advance pieces of silverware which they contact while moving toward said roller.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 which includes a I motor for driving the roller, and linkage means including a crank on the roller shaft for oscillating the rock shaft.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the finishing tunnel includes a rinsing zone adjacent the compartment and a drying zone remote from the compartment, there being means for delivering heated air to the tunnel at the beginning of the dryingzone so that said heated air passes toward and out of the open discharge end ofthe tunnel. a

23. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the rinsing zone and the drying zone of the tunnel are independent of one another and are connected by a short, flexible section, in which the silverware supporting surface meansof the compartment and, of the tunnel are 24. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the finishingtunnel is disposed in the form of a helix a portion of which is beneath and only slightly below the compartment.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which the helix makes approximately one turn and has its discharge end beneath and only slightly below its receiving end.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the first and second vibrating means each comprises an electric motor having an eccentrically weighted shaft.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the silverware supporting surface in that portion of the finishing tunnel through which rinse water passes comprises an elongated screen, and in which there is a continuous rinse water drain manifold beneath said screen.

28. Apparatus for washing mixed silverware while feeding itto a continuous sortingapparatus comprising, in combination:

a washing compartment and a finishing tunnel which have silverware supporting-surface means that is inclined continuously downwardly at a small angle .from a receiving end of the washing compartment to a discharge opening of the finishing tunnel, said compartment having side walls which converge gradually from the receiving end to the junction of the compartment and the tunnel;

means for vibrating the compartment and the tunnel to move silverware slowly along said supporting from the compartment.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 in which the of the tunnelnear the compartment and the part of the.

tunnel remote from the compartment are independent of one another and are connected by a short flexible section, and in which the vibrating means includes a first vibrator for vibrating the compartment and the near part of the tunnel and a second vibrator for vibrating the remote part of the tunnel independently of the compartment and the near part of the tunnel.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 in which the finishing .tunnel is disposed in theform of a helix a portion of which is beneath and only slightly below the compartment.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 in which the helix v makesapproximately one turn and has its discharge end beneath and only slightly below its receiving end.

33. Apparatus for wwhing mixed silverware while feeding it to acontinuous sorting apparatus comprising, in combination: a

a washing compartment having a silverware supportf 7 ing surface, a receiving end, and a discharge end through which silverware may meansin the tunnel near the compartment for rinsing silverware; means in the tunnel remote from the compartment for drying silverware;

and means for moving silverware continuously through the compartment and the tunnel.

34. The apparatus of claim 33in which the tunnel is disposed generally in the form of a shallow helix.

35. Apparatus for washing mixed silverware while feeding it to a continuous sorting apparatus comprising, in combination: t

a washing compartment which has a wide receiving end to accommodate -a large quantity of soiled silverware,.and a narrow discharge end that has a discharge opening through which silverware may pass only endwise, said washing compartment having silverware supporting surface means that is slightly downwardly inclined from its receiving end to its discharge end and having side walls which converge toward said discharge end;

means in the compartment for washing the silverware as it is moved toward the discharge end;

longitudinal guide means at least adjacent the discharge end, said guide means cooperating with the side walls to provide charmels which are narrower than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be washed; I

a finishing tunnel having silverware supporting surface rneans onto which silverware may pass directly from the supporting surface of the washing compartment, said tunnel having a receiving end sealed around the compartment discharge opening and an open discharge end, the supporting surface means of said tunnel being slightly downwardly inclined from its receiving end to its discharge end,

' and the width of said tunnel being such that silverware may pass through it only endwise;

37. The apparatus of claim 36 which includes meansfor intermittently retarding and advancing some of the silverware as it approaches the roller to assist in dispersing it longitudinally.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 in which the tunnel is of small height and disposed generally in the form of a helix with a portion near its discharge end directly beneath and only slightly below the compartment.

39. The apparatus of claim 35 which includes means 7 for passingrinse water through only a part of the finish- 10 ing tunnel near the compartment and means for passing hot air through a part of the tunnel near its discharge end. 

1. Apparatus for washing mixed silverware while feeding it to a continuous sorting apparatus comprising, in combination: a washing compartment which has a receiving end portion to accommodate a large quantity of soiled silverware, first silverware supporting surface means, side walls, and a top closure, said washing compartment having an open discharge end; means for moving silverware on said first supporting surface slowly from said receiving end portion to and through said open discharge end while agitating the silverware to spread it about the first supporting surface; orienting means in said washing compartment which cooperates with said last named means to arrange all silverware in the compartment in substantially a single predetermined orientation as it moves toward the open discharge end; first plumbing means for passing wash water through said washing compartment in scrubbing contact with silverware on the first supporting surface, said first plumbing means including used wash water and debris drain means; a finishing tunnel having second silverware supporting surface means on which silverware received directly from the washing compartment is supported for passage through the tunnel, said tunnel having sidewalls, a top wall, and a discharge opening, and being constructed and arranged to maintain silverware in substantially a single predetermined orientation with reference to its line of travel through the tunnel; and second plumbing means for passing rinse water through at least a portion of said tunnel to rinse silverware during its passage through the tunnel, said second plumbing means including a drain through which all rinse water passes.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the washing compartment is inclined slightly downwardly toward the open discharge end.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the means for moving silverware through the washing compartment and agitating the silverware comprises means for vibrating the supporting surface means to move the silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the compartment and of the tunnel are continuously downwardly inclined from the receiving end of the compartment to the discharge end of the tunnel, and in which means are provided for vibrating the supporting surface means of the compartment and the tunnel to move the silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the orienting means comprises longitudinally disposed partition means which cooperates with at least portions of the side walls of the washing compartment to orient silverware for endwise movement through the open discharge end.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the tunnel affords channel means which is substantially narrower than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware so as to maintain all silverware in a substantially endwise orientation with reference to its path of travel therethrough.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the side walls and the partition means define channels which narrow toward the discharge end of the compartment, the width of said channels adjacent the discharge end of the compartment being substantially less than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware to be washed.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the tunnel affords channel means which is substantially narrower than the length of the shortest pieces of silverware so as to maintain all silverware in a substantially endwise orientation with reference to its path of travel therethrough.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the side walls of the compartment converge from the receiving end portion toward the open discharge end, in which said open discharge end is narrower than the lenGth of the shortest pieces of silverware to be washed so that all silverware passes through said discharge end only in a substantially endwise orientation, and in which the silverware orienting means comprises longitudinally disposed partition means which cooperate with the side walls to orient silverware substantially endwise.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the washing compartment is inclined slightly downwardly toward the open discharge end, and in which the means for moving silverware through the washing compartment and agitating the silverware comprises means for vibrating the supporting surface means to move silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the silverware supporting surface means of the compartment and of the tunnel are continuously downwardly inclined from the receiving end of the compartment to the discharge end of the tunnel, and in which means are provided for vibrating said supporting surface means of the compartment and the tunnel to move the silverware therealong while continuously agitating it.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the distance between the side walls of the tunnel is substantially less than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be washed and rinsed.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first plumbing means includes nozzle means for directing a plurality of high pressure wash water sprays at the surfaces of silverware in the compartment so that said sprays scrub said surfaces.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 in which the nozzle means comprises an upper set of conduits arranged longitudinally of the compartment above the silverware supporting surface with nozzles in said conduits directing high pressure sprays generally downwardly, and lower conduit means arranged generally longitudinally of the compartment with nozzles in said conduit means directing high pressure sprays laterally.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the lower conduit means includes nozzles directing high pressure sprays laterally contiguous to the silverware supporting surface means.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes means for dispersing silverware longitudinally as it leaves the compartment.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the dispersing means comprises a driven silverware forwarding roller which controls the movement of silverware into the tunnel.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which the forwarding roller is on a horizontal shaft, the top of said roller is substantially coplanar with the silverware supporting surfaces of said compartment and said tunnel, and there are resilient silverware engaging projections on said roller.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the dispersing means also includes means for intermittently retarding and advancing some of the silverware as it approaches the roller.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the last named means comprises a transverse rock shaft generally above the discharge end of the washing compartment and ahead of the roller, means for oscillating said shaft on its axis, and a plurality of fingers fixed on said shaft and having resilient lower end portions which contact silverware on the supporting surface as they oscillate, whereby said fingers retard pieces of silverware which they contact while moving away from the roller and advance pieces of silverware which they contact while moving toward said roller.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20 which includes a motor for driving the roller, and linkage means including a crank on the roller shaft for oscillating the rock shaft.
 22. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the finishing tunnel includes a rinsing zone adjacent the compartment and a drying zone remote from the compartment, there being means for delivering heated air to the tunnel at the beginning of the drying zone so that said heated air passes toward and out of the open discharge end of the tunnel.
 23. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the Rinsing zone and the drying zone of the tunnel are independent of one another and are connected by a short, flexible section, in which the silverware supporting surface means of the compartment and of the tunnel are inclined continuously downwardly from the receiving end of the compartment to the discharge end of the tunnel, and in which first vibrating means are provided for vibrating the compartment and the rinsing zone and second vibrating means are provided for vibrating the drying zone independently of the rinsing zone.
 24. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the finishing tunnel is disposed in the form of a helix a portion of which is beneath and only slightly below the compartment.
 25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which the helix makes approximately one turn and has its discharge end beneath and only slightly below its receiving end.
 26. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the first and second vibrating means each comprises an electric motor having an eccentrically weighted shaft.
 27. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the silverware supporting surface in that portion of the finishing tunnel through which rinse water passes comprises an elongated screen, and in which there is a continuous rinse water drain manifold beneath said screen.
 28. Apparatus for washing mixed silverware while feeding it to a continuous sorting apparatus comprising, in combination: a washing compartment and a finishing tunnel which have silverware supporting surface means that is inclined continuously downwardly at a small angle from a receiving end of the washing compartment to a discharge opening of the finishing tunnel, said compartment having side walls which converge gradually from the receiving end to the junction of the compartment and the tunnel; means for vibrating the compartment and the tunnel to move silverware slowly along said supporting surface means; means in the compartment for aligning silverware generally longitudinally with respect to its line of movement; means for dispersing silverware longitudinally as it leaves the compartment; means for circulating wash water through the compartment; and means for circulating rinse water through at least the part of the tunnel near the compartment.
 29. The apparatus of claim 28 which includes means for blowing hot air into the part of the tunnel remote from the compartment.
 30. The apparatus of claim 29 in which the part of the tunnel near the compartment and the part of the tunnel remote from the compartment are independent of one another and are connected by a short flexible section, and in which the vibrating means includes a first vibrator for vibrating the compartment and the near part of the tunnel and a second vibrator for vibrating the remote part of the tunnel independently of the compartment and the near part of the tunnel.
 31. The apparatus of claim 28 in which the finishing tunnel is disposed in the form of a helix a portion of which is beneath and only slightly below the compartment.
 32. The apparatus of claim 31 in which the helix makes approximately one turn and has its discharge end beneath and only slightly below its receiving end.
 33. Apparatus for washing mixed silverware while feeding it to a continuous sorting apparatus comprising, in combination: a washing compartment having a silverware supporting surface, a receiving end, and a discharge end having an opening through which silverware may pass only endwise; means for aligning silverware in the compartment generally longitudinally of its path of travel as it is moved toward the discharge end; means in the compartment for washing the silverware as it is moved toward the discharge end; a finishing tunnel through which silverware may pass only endwise, said tunnel having an end sealed to the compartment surrounding the compartment discharge opening, and having an open discharge end, said finishing tunnel having a continuous silverware supporting surface; means in the tunnel near the compartment for rinsing silverware; means in the tunnel remote from the compartment for drying silverware; and means for moving silverware continuously through the compartment and the tunnel.
 34. The apparatus of claim 33 in which the tunnel is disposed generally in the form of a shallow helix.
 35. Apparatus for washing mixed silverware while feeding it to a continuous sorting apparatus comprising, in combination: a washing compartment which has a wide receiving end to accommodate a large quantity of soiled silverware, and a narrow discharge end that has a discharge opening through which silverware may pass only endwise, said washing compartment having silverware supporting surface means that is slightly downwardly inclined from its receiving end to its discharge end and having side walls which converge toward said discharge end; means in the compartment for washing the silverware as it is moved toward the discharge end; longitudinal guide means at least adjacent the discharge end, said guide means cooperating with the side walls to provide channels which are narrower than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be washed; a finishing tunnel having silverware supporting surface means onto which silverware may pass directly from the supporting surface of the washing compartment, said tunnel having a receiving end sealed around the compartment discharge opening and an open discharge end, the supporting surface means of said tunnel being slightly downwardly inclined from its receiving end to its discharge end, and the width of said tunnel being such that silverware may pass through it only endwise; and means for vibrating the compartment and tunnel to align silverware generally endwise in the compartment and move it slowly through the compartment and the tunnel, so that silverware is discharged from the tunnel endwise in a generally uniform flow.
 36. The apparatus of claim 35 which includes a driven silverware forwarding roller between the compartment and the tunnel which controls the movement of silverware into the tunnel and tends to disperse it longitudinally.
 37. The apparatus of claim 36 which includes means for intermittently retarding and advancing some of the silverware as it approaches the roller to assist in dispersing it longitudinally.
 38. The apparatus of claim 35 in which the tunnel is of small height and disposed generally in the form of a helix with a portion near its discharge end directly beneath and only slightly below the compartment.
 39. The apparatus of claim 35 which includes means for passing rinse water through only a part of the finishing tunnel near the compartment and means for passing hot air through a part of the tunnel near its discharge end. 